Tokyo planned “to seek a diplomatic solution to the conflict in Ukraine jointly with the G7 states,” Japanese Cabinet Secretary-General Yoshihide Suga said

Yoshihide Suga

TOKYO, December 9. /TASS/. A new portion of Japanese sanctions introduced Tuesday over the current situation in Ukraine will not affect preparations to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to Japan planned in 2015, Japanese Cabinet Secretary-General Yoshihide Suga told a news conference in the Japanese capital.

“The date of the visit will be set with due account of different factors. Current measures will not affect Putin’s visit,” the Japanese government secretary-general noted. Suga also noted that Tokyo planned “to seek a diplomatic solution to the conflict in Ukraine jointly with the G7 states.”

At a meeting at an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Beijing last November, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe discussed prospects of Russian leader’s visit to Japan which was initially planned last autumn, but did not take place over events in Ukraine. After the meeting the Japanese premier noted that the visit would be held “at the best time” in 2015.

Earlier on Tuesday, the Japanese Cabinet has approved a list of 26 individuals and 14 organizations which are mainly linked with self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics and which are named as “pro-Russian forces in Ukraine” in the East Asian country. Should their property be found in Japan, it will be frozen. Meanwhile, Japanese visas will not be issued to these sanctioned persons.